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The world according to the Ford Motor Co. is getting smaller.

No longer is there a Ford automobile for the United States and a Ford for everywhere else.

The company is pushing its world- car frontiers with the introduction of the 1995 Ford Contour. The midsized sedan not only is a car for all countries and all seasons, but also is a class act of styling, technology and performance.

“It’s going to give us a shot at the imports,’ said Bud Callahan, vice president of Chuck Callahan Ford. “It’s not a replacement for the Tempo. The car is much more upscale, much more sophisticated.”

The Contour is the result of Ford’s global car program, and essentially is the derivative of the Ford Mondeo that was introduced in Europe in March 1993.

As an American-produced automobile, the Contour is offered in three versions — a standard GL series, an upscale LX and a sports-oriented SE.

Body construction and aerodynamic styling for all three are the same, giving the car a contemporary look. A Quadralink independent rear suspension and a subframe-mounted MacPherson strut front suspension also are standard on all cars.

The demographics of Contour buyers lean toward the young and those just coming into their most productive years. Marketing research indicates primary customers will be between 25 and 40 years old, a sedan-filled arena that dictates a nimble five-passenger four-door.

Some Contours are more nimble than others, depending on the choice of engine and transmission.

Two new engines and two new transmissions are available, and drivers in effect can build their own engine/powertrain combination.

Both engines are double-overhead-cam multivalve motors. That calls for four valves per cylinder in the best high-tech tradition.

In four-cylinder form, Ford has an engine called the Zetec that features an all-aluminum head and produces 125 horsepower. Then there’s an all-aluminum 2.5-liter V6 known as the Duratec V6 and rated at 165 horsepower.

The Duratec shares many of the basic design features found in the Lincoln Mark VIII’s 4.6-liter, four- cam, all-aluminum modular V8. It’s the first volume-produced engine made by utilizing a patented Cosworth Engineering casting process developed for Indy- car and Formula One race engines.

In addition, the Duratec uses platinum- tipped spark plugs that enable the car to travel 100,000 miles before its first scheduled tune-up.

With 165 horsepower versus 125 for the Zetec, it’s obvious that a V6-equipped Contour is going to be faster than one using the four-cylinder engine. How much faster depends in part on the transmission mix.

Either a five-speed MTX75 manual transmission or a CD4E four-speed automatic specifically developed for the Contour can be used with either engine.

I’m going to speculate that a pro, or semi-pro, with a five- speed matched to the V6 will be a tough combination to beat. You can wind the four-cammer through the gears like there’s no tomorrow and get the engine speed up into a range where the horses are doing some work.

“One thing we feel is in our favor,” Callahan said, “is that the engines have been tested for a year (in Europe).

“They’ve had a lot of experience on the road, and they drive the hell out of them over there.”

Not everybody, of course, wants to stand on the throttle and steer. Of prime interest to the majority of motorists are items like comfort, convenience and security.

Instrumentation and seating are state of the art, with individual bucket seats divided by a console in front and a bench seat in the rear. A split fold-down rear seat to extend the trunk’s cargo area is nothing new, but Ford designers have added a unique touch.

The release for the fold-down is in the trunk, rather than inside the car. And the remote trunk release can be disabled by a switch on the trunk latch. This substantially increases luggage- compartment security.

Marketwise, the Contour is being positioned midway between the Ford Escort and the T aurus, with a base model starting at a little over $13,000. About half the sales are expected to be in the GL series.

“We’re playing it by ear,” Callahan said. “But I’ve ordered heavily in GLs. I expect them to make up about 50 percent of the product mix.”

1995 Ford Contour GL Model year: 1995.Base price: $13,310.Type: Front-engine, front-drive, five-passenger, midsized sedan.Engine: 2.0 liters, DOHC in-line 4, 16 valves, fuel-injected, 125 horsepower, 125 foot-pounds of torque.Transmission: Five-speed manual.Mileage: 24 mpg city/32 mpg highway.Wheelbase: 106.5 inches.Length: 183.9 inches.Width: 69.1 inches.Height: 54.5 inches.Curb weight: 2,758 pounds.Options: AM/FM deluxe stereo, CD player, preferred equipment package, Duratec V6, automatic transmission, ABS brakes, traction control, leather, power seat, MicronAir filtration system.